Of Lockets and Gillyweed
by BK Love-ah
Summary: Lacey's fourth year. Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tourtament this year. Meanwhile, Lacey learns something terrible about Arabella's death. Fourth story of 7, telling of Lacey's magical journey. I DO NOT OWN HP, only Lacey and her family. R&R!
1. The World Cup and the Weird Sisters

_**Hello, everybody, I'm back! I hope you like chapter 1!**_

**TheBlessedChildSuki-**** I hope you like it! =)**

**Tiger126-**** Thanks for your praises! I hope you like this story :D**

**Cookie05-**** Thanx! =)**

**0ooooooooooooooooooooo0**

"Are you ready, Lacey?"

"Almost!" I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, braiding my hair into two long pigtails. It was the day I had been waiting for all summer, so I was in a rush. Finally, I tied the last braid with a hair tie. "Okay, I'm coming down!"

Running down the stairs, I nearly crashed into Mum, who was at the foot of the staircase.

"Goodness, Lacey!" she said, chuckling.

"Is Dad ready?" She nodded.

"He's by the fireplace." I smiled and ran into the living room, where Dad was indeed waiting by our suitcases.

"You ready, sweetheart?"

"I've been ready all summer." Dad laughed.

"That's believable, considering the fact that you started packing the day we gave you the tickets." It was my turn to laugh.

"Very funny." Mum walked over from the staircase.

"All right, you two. Ready to go?" I nodded, as did Dad. Mum extended her hand, and Dad placed his on hers. Then, I placed my hand on his. Together we thought as hard as we could: _Quidditch World Cup!_ Then, the world seemed to spin around us...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

We came to a stop on a grassy hill. I opened my eyes and took in the sight. Near the lake, there must have been thousands of small tents scattered about. Several people were sporting different team colors. The Irish color was green; the Bulgarians had red. There were more colors than I could count! I smiled widely and turned to my parents.

"Let's go!" We started walking down the hill into the sea of people. Multicolored sparks were shooting into the air above us. A few children ran past me, chasing each other with sparklers. Soon, a man approached us and addressed Dad.

"Hello there, Mr. Ravensdale! Your tent is right over here." He led us to one of the many small tents that were stationed all across the field. Dad held the flap open for me and beckoned me in.

"Go on, Lacey." I nodded and walked in. I gasped when I saw the inside. There was ten times more room than there appeared to be from the outside. Colorful cloths were draped around the walls, and there were three good-sized beds along with a kitchen. I turned around as Mum and Dad walked in.

"How..." I asked faintly. Mum chuckled and smiled at me.

"Magic."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Dad and I were walking around the landscape. Mum had insisted that we look around while she unpacked. After sitting by the lake for a while, we walked over to where the Quidditch arena was. It was absolutely enormous, like a huge silver talon that was cupping the game in its grasp.

"You know," Dad said, "I had always dreamed of coming here someday. I just feel so blessed to be able to share the experience with you and your mum." I smiled. Then, he looked over and saw a man with a clipboard talking with someone a few yards away. "Oh, it's the registration man. Lacey, stay here while I go and get our seat numbers." I nodded as he walked in the direction of the man. Turning back around, I gazed up at the pitch. _It's so beautiful!_

"Well, well, well." My breath caught in my throat. _Oh, come __**on!**_ I turned around to see the all-too-familiar face of Draco Malfoy. He was dressed in a black suit uniform, and had gotten taller. However, his arrogant sneer hadn't changed a bit. "Look who it is. What're **you** doing here, Ravensdale? Shouldn't you be at home, crying yourself to sleep?" I glared at him, but instantly thought of something.

"Oh, that's **very** funny," I said sarcastically, folding my arms in front of me. "But shouldn't _you_ be at home, staring at a mirror?" Anger flashed across his eyes.

"Watch yourself," he said. "You're in the presence of a superior wizard." I chuckled.

"Superior in **what?** Amount of grease in your hair?" He was about to say something in response, but I saw someone stop next to me out of the corner of my eye.

"I'm back, love," said Dad. He looked at Malfoy. "You must be Draco, am I right?" Draco raised his eyebrows. His reply to my father shocked me immensely.

"Yeah. And you must be the Mudblood father I've heard so much about." A fire immediately lit within me, and I tried to storm forward.

"**Lacey**." Dad put his hands on my shoulders and held me back. At that moment, another unfriendly face seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Well. If it isn't Bernard." The disgust was evident in Lucius Malfoy's voice. Dad looked at him, his mouth in a thin line.

"Hello, Lucius."

"I see you've met my son." He put a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Proper lad, isn't he?"

"In stature, maybe," said Dad. "In morality, not so much." I didn't bother to restrain a smile.

"At least I don't have dirty blood," Draco said without shame. I tried to jump at him again, but Dad restrained me again. That didn't keep me from speaking, though.

"Don't talk about him like that! Unless you want another bloody lip." Malfoy grimaced at the memory. Mr. Malfoy scoffed.

"Ah. I remember that, son. I'm surprised you ever allowed _**that**_ to touch you." It was Dad's turn to get angry.

"My daughter is a **thousand** times more powerful than you _and_ your son **combined** could ever _**dream**_ of being," he said, his voice full of poison. With that, he took my wrist and started to lead me away.

I didn't say anything until we reached the lake. Slowly approaching my father, I spoke.

"Dad?" He looked at me. "I'm sorry." He smiled softly.

"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong." He looked across the lake at the horizon.

"He shouldn't have called you that." He chuckled.

"It's fine. I've been called a 'Mudblood' so many times that I've grown used to it." My heart ached for him. Despite his words, I could see the pain in his eyes.

"You shouldn't have to." He looked at me.

"And you shouldn't have to get used to being treated as horrible as that boy treats you." I smiled and took his hand in mine. I'll always remember how strong and caring my dad was. He never let anything break his spirit.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What're you guys _doing_ here?" I started laughing as I saw Dean and Seamus walking towards me on the way to the Cup.

"Same thing you are, Lace!" Seamus shouted over the loud people around us.

"This your first time here?" Dean asked. I nodded. "Mine, too." Seamus tugged on Dean's shoulder, and they waved at me.

"See you later, Lace!" I waved at them, and followed Mum and Dad into the pitch. It took a great long while, but when we made it, I was in awe by how high up we were. We must have been at least a hundred feet above the ground. It was incredible! Mum had gotten me a large green Irish hat, along with a red Bulgarian scarf. I'd never really had a favorite Quidditch team, so I decided to go halvsies. All of us were showered in green and red confetti as the match began...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"And could you _believe_ Krum's swoop?"

"I _know!_ Incredible, _he_ is."

The match had been over for hours, and Seamus, Dean, and I were in Seamus's tent. Mum and Dad had let me hang out with them while they got reacquainted with a few old friends from their year. The two boys and myself were sitting on the floor, talking about the game, our summers, basically everything that had occurred since we saw each other last. Outside, people were screaming. _Probably still crazed about the match,_ I thought.

"Who's _your_ favorite, Lacey?" Dean asked. I shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I mean, I've never really had a favorite team." Seamus looked shocked.

"How could you not like Krum?"

"I'd never really heard of him before tonight, to tell you the truth." Dean's eyes widened, and Seamus laughed out loud.

"Ha! You're joking!" I shook my head, smiling. "That's like saying that you've never heard of the Weird Sisters." Now I was confused.

"The what?" Seamus pretended to have a heart attack, and fell over onto the floor.

"You've **seriously** never heard of them, Lace?" Dean asked. I shook my head.

"No. What are they?" Seamus sat back up.

"Only the best musical group in our world!" I nodded.

"Well, I don't listen to the radio much, so..." Seamus suddenly got up, grabbed the record player next to his bed, and brought it over. He put the needle in place on the record that was already on it.

"Well, you can't be magical and not hear one of their songs." He suddenly stopped at a mystical-sounding song. "Ah, here! Listen." The male singer started to sing very slowly.

_And dance your final dance  
>This is your final chance<br>To hold the one you love_  
><em>You know you've waited long enough<em>

_"So, believe,"_ Seamus sang along with the radio, looking at me with a dreamy look, _"that magic works."_

_ "Don't be afraid,"_ Dean joined in a few seconds later. I giggled as Seamus jokingly threw an arm around my shoulders.

_ "Of being hurt,"_ he and Dean sang together cheerfully. I rolled my eyes. _Oh, Lord. It's a love song._

"You guys," I said, fighting back laughter. "I'm actually not a big fan of lovey-dovey songs. Or of romance in general, really."

"Oh, come on, Lace," said Seamus. "Maybe you aren't a fan of love **now,** but that might change." I rolled my eyes again.

"Oh, _really?_" Suddenly, the flap of the tent was thrown open. Dad ran in and hoisted me up by my arm. "Dad?"

"Lacey, come quickly. We need to leave." I looked back at Dean and Seamus.

"Go ahead, we'll be fine." Mrs. Finnegan ran through the flap just as Dad dragged me out. Mum ran forward and grabbed my other arm.

"What's going on?" I asked, feeling scared.

"The camp's under attack. We need to get out!" Just then, I noticed an enormous cloud of smoke rising into the sky. I looked and saw that it was coming from several tents that were on fire not too far away. When I saw a group of people with masks and long black robes with pointed hoods walking in our direction, my eyes went wide.

"Lacey, come on!" Dad said. I nodded and ran with my parents, who were both clinging to me for dear life. As soon as we reached the hill, we put our hands together again. "Think of home!" _Home,_ I thought. _Home!_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

In a flash, we were back in our living room. Seeing that it was pitch dark, Dad went over and turned on a small lamp. Shaking, I sat down onto the sofa. Belle hadn't moved from where I saw her last. Cradling her against my chest, I looked up at my parents.

"Who were those people?" Mum looked back at me.

"Death Eaters." She said it as though it was the foulest curse known. "You-Know-Who's followers." My blood ran cold.

"You mean..." Dad nodded.

"They were there when your sister died, sweetheart." I hadn't realized that I had been holding my breath. Exhaling, I took in this information. _Death Eaters? At the World Cup? What did they want?_

**0oooooooooooooooooooooo0**

_** I hope you liked this, everyone! Chapter 2 will be up ASAP!**_


	2. Triwizards and Dreams

_**Enjoy, everyone!**_

**Nestling-**** Thanks! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story, and that it met your expectations =D**

**Gossamer Silverweb-**** Thanks so much =)**

**TheBlessedChildSuki-**** Thanks! I'll update as much as I can! Sorry this took a while, but I actually have a bit of a cold =(**

**0ooooooooooooooooo0**

Since the incident at the World Cup, I had felt very unsettled. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why they chose that particular time to strike. Even so, Dad took me to Diagon Alley to get my supplies for Hogwarts.

"You can't let that scare you, love," Mum said the night before we went to King's Cross. "If you get scared, you'll be giving them exactly what they want." After she left my room, I took a breath and glanced over at my nightstand. Our family picture was still there, as well as the one with just me and Arabella. As she picked up my tiny hand and made me wave, I stared into her cheerful eyes. _Okay, Arabella. I'll be brave for you._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

For the fourth time, I was hanging onto my parents for dear life as I prepared to board the Hogwarts Express. Mum took my face in her hands and spoke to me.

"Now, Lacey, I want you to remember what I told you last night, but I also want you to let us know if anything bad happens." I nodded.

"Yes, Mum." She smiled and let go of me.

"We'll miss you so much, sweetheart," Dad said.

"I'll miss both of you." Just then, I heard a friendly and very familiar voice behind me.

"Lacey!" Even as I started turning, I knew who it was.

"Hey, Nev-" When I looked at him, I was shocked to see how much taller he was. He had grown at least six or seven inches, and his hair was just past his ears. I smiled and looked _**up**_ at him. "Neville! You've gotten so tall!" He smiled widely at me.

"Yeah. I'm finally taller than my gran." I laughed, as did he.

"All aboard!" I gave Mum and Dad a final hug, and climbed onto the train with Neville. Being back with my friend and seeing the reassuring faces of my parents made all of my worries go away.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So, I heard about the World Cup. Are you okay?" I nodded, running my fingers through Belle's fur.

"Yes. I don't think anyone was seriously hurt, but it was scary." Neville nodded.

"Yeah, I saw the Dark Mark on the _Daily Prophet_." When I had found out about the Mark appearing in the sky, I had trouble sleeping. _That's what was in the sky when..._

"But at least we're going back to Hogwarts. That should make things a little bit better." He smiled and nodded.

"True."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Upon our arrival to Hogwarts, a lot of weird things happened. First, an elegant carriage pulled by flying horses landed on the grounds (having been waved in by Hagrid, who had to leap for cover when they swooped down too close). And also, an enormous ship rose out from the lake out of nowhere. _Bloody hell, what on __**Earth?**_ Then again, it was Hogwarts, so anything could happen.

When we got to our common room, I instantly went over to Seamus.

"Lace!" He smiled widely. "I'm glad you got out okay."

"And I'm glad to see you in one piece. Is Dean alright?" He nodded.

"Oh, yeah, he's fine. He just ran to the loo." I was relieved.

"Say, Seamus, d'you know what was up with that carriage and that ship?" He shrugged.

"Not a clue." I nodded. _Could things get any stranger?_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_The Triwizard what?_ I looked at the other Gryffindors around me at the table in the Great Hall. Some looked thrilled, while others looked dumfounded like I did. I turned back to Professor Dumbledore, who had just informed us that we would be "playing host" to a few guests, and that Hogwarts had been chosen to host this "legendary event." Dumbledore spoke again.

"Now, for those of you who don't know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests." _I guess that explains the ship and the carriage,_ I thought. "From each school, a single student is selected to compete." He suddenly became a bit more serious. "Now let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint-hearted." Then, the happy mood was back. "But more of that later. For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and their headmistress, Madame Maxime."

The doors suddenly swung open, and a group of teenage girls started walking in. They were dressed in pale blue dresses with short cloaks, long sleeves, and short skirts. Also, they wore matching hats. As they walked down the aisle, they made strange dance moves that seemed to enchant several of the boys.

Eventually, the girls released small blue butterflies that sprinkled blue dust over the tables. They assembled at the front of the hall, as Madame Maxime came down the aisle. I tried to keep from staring, but she was unbelievably tall. Taller than Hagrid! I smiled as I heard Seamus comment on it. We all politely applauded as she reached her students and Dumbledore kissed her hand.

"And now our friends from the north," he said to us. "Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their high master, Igor Karkaroff."

A group of teenage boys came into the room, and all but two were wearing hats and coats made of fur. The ones in front were holding staffs. They started rhythmically pounding the staffs on the floor, as if choreographed. They ran to the front of the room, and the two clad in simple brown clothes did interesting twists and flips. Then, another person wearing fur came in, followed by a man in a white coat. After looking at the first man, I recognized him even before I heard Ron speak.

"Blimey, it's him!" he whispered. "Viktor Krum!" They joined the others at the front, and one of the dancers blew a fire bird from his wand. The man in the white coat turned out to be Karkaroff, after Dumbledore embraced him like an old friend and addressed him so. Dumbledore turned back to us.

"Well, everyone, now that our guests are here, let the feast begin!" Instantly, our plates were filled with food, and we started to dig in. Everyone started talking about the tournament just as quickly. When fifteen minutes went by, it was still all they could talk about.

"Alright, who's going to enter?" Parvati asked. A few people raised their hands, including Seamus. Ron looked at him like he had grown another head.

"You joking, Seamus? You'd blow up the other two champions." We all started laughing.

"He's got a point," I said to Seamus.

"Oh, so would **you** enter?" he asked me. As I felt everyone's eyes on me, I looked down slightly.

"Maybe." Their eyes instantly widened. Next to me, Neville tapped my shoulder.

"Seriously?" he whispered.

"Of course not," I whispered back. He nodded and grinned slightly.

"Neither would I."

"Your attention, please!" We all looked up to see Dumbledore standing beside a large gold box that was shaped like a tower. "I'd like to say a few words." He placed a hand on the box. "Eternal glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three _extremely_ _**dangerous**_ tasks." At the table, Fred and George Weasley smiled.

"Wicked," they said together.

"For this reason," the headmaster continued, "the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartemius Crouch."

As Mr. Crouch stepped forward, there was suddenly a huge flash of lightening and a loud crash. It was coming from the enchanted ceiling. Around me, several people started to scream. Avoiding the panic, I ducked under the table, followed closely by Neville. Then, everything was still. I slowly got out from underneath the table (as did Neville). I then noticed a strange man putting away his wand; he was standing near the door that was next to the teacher's table. He looked rough-looking, with a long brown overcoat and stringy white-blonde hair that went a little past his ears. My eyes widened when I saw that he had a fake leg, scars on his face, and a fake eye that moved like a real one.

Slowly, he started limping his way in. I was just pondering who he might be when Ron whispered something.

"Bloody hell. It's Mad-Eye Moody." I turned to him, confused.

"What?"

"Alastor Moody?" Hermione asked. "The Auror?"

"Auror?" Dean asked, curious.

"Dark-wizard catcher," Ron continued. "Half the cells in Azkaban are filled thanks to him. He's supposed to be mad as a hatter, though, these days." Moody walked over to Dumbledore, who grasped his arm in friendship. After saying a few words, Moody walked over to a corner, took out a small flask, and drank some.

"What's that he's drinking, do you suppose?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's pumpkin juice," said Harry, looking very nervous. Mr. Crouch then stepped in front of the gold box and raised his hands.

"After due consideration," he stated. "the Ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament." By now, students were already shouting in protest. "This decision is final!" Different objections were echoing across the Great Hall.

"_No way!_"

"That's not **fair!**"

"You can't _do_ that!" But the twins were the loudest.

"_**That's rubbish!**_" they both shouted. "That's **rubbish!**" The abuse continued.

"You don't know what you're doing!"

"_Boo!_"

"_**Silence!**_" Everyone piped down after hearing the headmaster's command. He stepped forward and, after outstretching a hand, melted the gold box away, revealing a large goblet. In a matter of seconds, blue flames started burning inside of it. "The Goblet of Fire," said Dumbledore. "Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night." His expression suddenly became grim. "Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

It took everyone a very long time to go to sleep that night. Surprisingly, I was the first one to go up to the dormitory. Then again, I didn't really want to hear any more about the tournament, which was all anybody else could talk about.

After climbing into bed and cuddling up next to Belle, I started thinking about my classes. It was very exciting to think about starting them again. Except for Potions, that is. The very thought of having to endure hours of homework with Snape made my eyes heavy...

**"Lacey. Lacey..." I looked up at the girl who was putting a blue shield over the crib. It was Arabella! I tried to call her name, but it just came out in cries. "Shh, don't be afraid," she said soothingly. "Everything's going to be fine-" Just then, the front door was blasted open. There was a brilliant light...**

I shot up in my bed, breathing heavily. _Oh, no. Please! Don't let it be happening again!_

**0oooooooooooooo0**

_**Let me know what you think! =D**_


	3. Curses and Guilt

_**Hellooooo, everyone! Sorry it took me a while, but you wouldn't BELIEVE the homework I've had to do! That's New Visions for you =D Read on and relish!**_

**This is a Creative Name- Hey, it's awesome to see you again (I'm still CRAZY about your pen name)! Sooo, I have a _BURNING_ desire to say whether or not you're right, but I don't want to give it away DX ...hmm. I'll _try_ to say this without spoiling anything~Lacey will make an unexpected decision regarding the _Yule Ball_, but _not_ necessarily regarding a _date_. I certainly hope that helps =)**

**0oooooooooooooooo0**

"Lacey?" I looked at Ginny from across the table.

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay?" I looked down, and realized that I had just been picking at my cornflakes for the past ten minutes. I smiled reassuringly.

"Oh, yeah. Fine." I took a bite of the flakes to prove my point. Even as I continued eating, I could feel Neville's eyes boring into the side of my head. Glancing at him, I raised my eyebrows. "What?" He looked very worried.

"Did something happen?" My hesitation to answer was good enough for him.

"They're starting again," I muttered quietly. Neville shifted so he was fully turned towards me.

"Oh...did you tell your parents?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I sent an owl this morning."

"Good. Is there anything I can do?" I looked at him and smiled.

"No, I don't think so. But thanks." He smiled back. _It really is great to be back._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Wrong again, Lacey.

"It seems that even this potion wouldn't help you, Miss Ravensdale."

Professor Snape sneered down at my Wit-Sharpening Potion, which was supposed to be dark orange. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to add more Armadillo Bile, and the result was a cauldron full of black paste. I didn't allow my face to show my embarrassment, even as I heard Malfoy and his friends giggling.

As Snape walked to the next table, I looked down at my hands. I still hated him for what he did to my parents. _He's probably still mad about me pulling my wand on him,_ I thought, suppressing a smile. Then, I felt someone grasp my hand next to me. I looked and saw that it was Neville. He smiled at me.

"Don't worry about it, Lace," whispered Seamus. I nodded. Since my talk with Remus Lupin the previous year, I made it a point to control my temper around Snape. And I wasn't about to let up.

When we were finally dismissed, I started towards the door. However, I stopped when I realized that Neville had stuck behind. I stayed where I was as he walked over to Snape's desk.

"Professor?" Snape didn't even look up from his papers.

"What?" Neville paused slightly before continuing.

"I...I want you to stop singling out Lacey." Snape still didn't look up, but I heard him scoff slightly.

"Are you telling me what to do, Longbottom?" There was a long pause before Neville answered him.

"Yes." Snape slowly lifted his head to look at him. "You're being really cruel to her, and you know it. Just leave her alone." My mouth was hanging open. I was completely in awe by how bold Neville was being. Snape's eyes were filled with dangerous fury.

"Five points from Gryffindor. Now off to your next class." Neville didn't budge. "Do you want me to make it ten?" Very slowly, he turned around and started walking in my direction. While passing me, he gently took me by the arm and led me out the door.

As soon as we were far enough away, I turned to him.

"Neville!" I didn't know what to say. He looked at me intently. I looked back at him, and the look in his eyes told me all I wanted to know. "Thank you."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Alastor Moody."

Our next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. This year, we had yet another new teacher. I've always found it strange that none of them have ever stuck around.

"Ex-Auror," Moody continued, pacing towards the blackboard, writing "Moody" on it, and tossing away the chalk. "Ministry malcontent, and your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I am here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story, _goodbye,_ **the end**. Any questions?" There was an awkward pause as his eye scanned the room.

"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach." He stepped back to the board. "But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?" Hermione tentatively spoke up.

"Three, sir." Moody started writing.

"And they are so named?"

"Because they are unforgivable," Hermione said, her voice cracking slightly. "The use of any one of them will-"

"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, _correct,_" he finished gruffly. After he completed writing "unforgivable" on the board, he turned back to us. "Now, the Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. _I say different!_ You need to know **what** you're up against!" He went back to the board. "You need to be **prepared!**" He paused for a moment. "You _need_ to find another place to put your chewing gum besides the other side of your _desk,_ Mr. **Finnegan!**" My eyes went wide. I turned around in my seat, and indeed, Seamus had refrained from sticking his gum to his desk.

"No way," he whispered to the kids around him. "The old codger can see out the back of his head." I turned back to Moody just in time to see him whirl around and toss his chalk at Seamus. Cringing, my eyes followed the chalk as it flew towards him and bounced off his shoulder.

"_**And hear across classrooms!**_" After he had the class's attention again, Moody took a step towards us. "So, which curse shall we see first?" He stopped in front of Harry and Ron. "_Weasley!_" Ron looked up, terrified.

"Yes?" He squeaked.

"Stand!" Ron slowly rose to his feet as the professor leaned towards him. "Give us a curse."

"Well," Ron began, "my dad did tell me about one." Moody nodded encouragingly. "The Imperius Curse."

"Oh, yeah," Moody muttered. "Your father would know all about that. Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why."

With that, he turned around and went over to the table that held several jars of different bugs. He opened one and reached inside, muttering about its supposed loveliness. His hand came out, revealing an abnormal spider. Pointing his wand at it, Moody muttered the growth incantation.

"_Imperio!_" Suddenly, the tarantula-sized insect flew into the air and landed in front of Dean and Neville. Dean whined nervously, while Neville leaned as far away from it as he could. Then, the spider flew towards Crabbe, landing on his head. I couldn't hold back a few giggles as a terrified Crabbe cried out and pawed at his face.

"Don't worry," Moody said. "It's completely harmless." The insect then flew over to poor Parvati, crawling up her quivering arm and onto her shoulder. The next destination was Ron, on whose head the spider landed. "If she bites, she's lethal." I glared across the room at Malfoy, who was laughing meanly. Luckily, Moody noticed. "What're **you** laughing at?" I nearly fell out of my seat when I saw the spider land right on Malfoy's nose. The whole class erupted with laughter.

"_**Get it off!**_" He screamed at Goyle, who vainly tried to smack it away. However, it merely crawled up into Malfoy's hair. I was laughing so hard that tears came to my eyes. A few desks in front of me, Neville turned around and shot me a smile. Laughing, I smiled back.

"Talented, isn't she?" Moody asked rhetorically. "What should I have her do next, jump out the window?" With a flick of his wand, the spider flew towards the window, but hit one of the glass magnifying circles that was hanging above a bowl of water. "Drown herself?" He lowered the wand, so the spider's legs just barely touched the surface of the water.

After a few seconds, the spider flew back into Moody's hand.

"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse. But here's the rub: how do we sort out the **liars?**" He looked around the room. "Another, another." A few more hands went up, but Moody didn't seem to notice them. However, he did seem to notice when a certain boy's hand hesitantly twitched.

"Up, up. Come on." My heart started pounding when Neville's hand slowly rose from his desk. "Longbottom, is it? Up." Neville slowly got up and stood before the professor. Moody took a step toward him. "Professor Sprout tells me _you_ have an aptitude for herbology." Slightly relaxed, Neville nodded.

"There's the...um...the Cruciatus Curse." Moody pointed at him enthusiastically.

"_Correct, correct!_ Come, come." He motioned for Neville to follow him back to the insect table, which he did. Moody placed the spider onto a glass Petri dish. "Particularly nasty." Standing right next to the table, Neville stared down at the spider. "The torture curse." He pointed his wand at the poor insect. "_Crucio!_"

The sound I heard next was a sound that nobody should ever have to hear. The spider seemed to squeal in pain, its body contorting into impossible positions. But what shook me the most was how Neville reacted. I could see the grimace on his face, and I could hear his strangled breathing. My heart ached for him when I remembered what happened to his parents. Looking away from the table, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe. He was clenching his fists uncontrollably. _Why is the professor doing that? He's practically torturing Neville!_ I opened my mouth to shout at him to stop, but Hermione beat me to it.

"Stop it! _Can't you see it's bothering him?_ _**Stop it!**_" After a few seconds, Moody lifted the curse. The spider seemed to relax onto the dish. I glanced at Neville. He was completely still, gazing absentmindedly at the table. Moody picked up the spider, carried it over to Hermione, and gently placed it on her desk.

"Perhaps you could give us the last Unforgivable Curse, Miss Granger." Hermione slowly shook her head. "No?" He looked down at the insect, and I already knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" A green ray of light shot at the spider, and its legs curled up. It was dead. Hermione looked away. "The killing curse. Only one person is known to have survived it, and he's sitting in this room." _Harry._ As Moody walked over to stand in front of Harry, I looked at my hands again. _That's what killed my sister. _Gazing back at Neville, I saw that he hadn't moved from where he was. Tears filled my eyes.

"Well, that's the end of the lesson. Class dismissed." Everyone gathered their things without a word. However, the first one out the door was Neville, who had rushed to gather his things at the very moment the professor gave the word. He was gone before I could reach him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I didn't see Neville again until after dinner. He was on the common room sofa when we all got back, reading a book. I instantly sat down next to him.

"Neville, are you alright? I was so worried." He gave me a weak smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I looked at the book he was reading.

"Where'd you get that?" He looked at it and smiled.

"Oh, this? Moody invited me for tea after class, and he gave it to me. It's about plants." He talked to me for about ten minutes about what he'd read about so far. I listened, even though I didn't know most of what he was saying. It just made me so relieved to see him so peppy. However, I still saw that flash of fear and pain in his eyes that I saw in the classroom.

"Neville," I said hesitantly, "I'm sorry about what happened." He gazed at me, and for a split second, I thought he was going to tell me the truth.

"It's fine. I don't know why that happened. Just a bit jittery, I guess." My stomach knotted. _Why is he still lying to me?_ I nodded, but inside, I was having an adrenaline rush. _Should I tell him? No, he might be mad that I knew all this time and didn't...oh, bloody hell. I'm just going to do it._ I was just about to speak when-

"Neville!" Seamus walked through the door and came over to sit by us. "Where've you been, mate?" As Neville went on to tell Seamus about his book, I felt relieved. _God bless you, Seamus._ However, I felt guilty. _Should I have told Neville that I know what really happened to his parents?_ At that moment, I made a decision. _Okay. I'm not going to tell him. I'll wait for him to tell me, if he chooses to._ A fine decision **that** turned out to be.

**0ooooooooooooooooooo0**

"_**To tell or not to tell...that is the question." **_

_**What do you guys think? Let me know! =D**_


	4. Friend to Friend

_**I'm back! I hope you like this one =D**_

**TheBlessedChildSuki-**** Haha, thanks! I'm really glad you liked it! I was a bit worried that Neville's moment with Snape was OOC, but your words relieve me. And yeah, Moody **_**is**_** awesome! Thanks again :D**

**american highway flower-**** Thanks so much! That's ****exactly**** my opinion of Neville (and that's why he's my favorite character)! And I'm glad you don't think his moment of bravery was OOC, cuz I was worried about that...Seriously, thanks a lot. It means so much to me =)**

**0ooooooooooooooooo0**

**I couldn't stop crying. Arabella's screams of agony were getting louder with each passing second.**

** "Stupid girl," a male voice snarled. I tried to call out, but it came out in infant cries.**

_**"No! Leave her alone! Please! Don't hurt her..."**_

_** "Stop!" **_A pair of hands on my shoulders jolted me awake. My eyes shot open, and I was staring at Parvati, with Hermione looking over her shoulder.

"Lacey, what's wrong?" Parvati asked, the concern evident in her eyes.

"I..."

Hermione eyed me knowingly.

"Did you have another dream?" I nodded. Parvati turned to look at Hermione, then back at me.

"You've had them before?"

"Yes, but...not for a while."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The days had passed rather glumly for me, mostly because of the dreams. Also, I was getting a little annoyed by everyone going on about the tournament. Several seventh-years had put their names into the Goblet of Fire, including Cedric Diggory, the Seeker of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Viktor Krum also put his name in. The one thing that wasn't boring was when Fred and George tried to fool the age line with an Aging Potion, but grew beards instead.

When the selection day finally arrived, everyone gathered in the Great Hall. There were so many people that a lot of us had to sit right on the tables. Neville and I sat by Ron on one of the tables, with Hermione and Harry sitting on the bench in front of us.

"Sit down, please." Dumbledore stepped to the front of the room. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for: the champion selection."

He raised his arm and, moving it slowly, dimmed the torches on the walls. Then, he stepped toward the goblet, caressing the side of it. The blue flames suddenly turned a hot pink, and they shot a charred piece of paper into the air. The headmaster caught it easily.

"The Durmstrang Champion is Viktor Krum." The room erupted with applause. Krum proudly stood up and walked to Dumbledore, who handed him his parchment and shook his hand. As Krum walked out of the room, the goblet shot up another paper, which Dumbledore also caught. "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour." The room cheered again as a girl in a blonde ponytail rose from the Beauxbaton table and walked to the headmaster to receive her parchment. _One more left._

"The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory!" I joined in the applause as Cedric rose from the Hufflepuff table, got his parchment, and left the room. Dumbledore turned to us and lifted his arms, as Mr. Crouch brought something covered in a tarp and placed it on the front table. "Excellent! We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory: the Triwizard Cup!"

He pointed at the covered object, and the tarp flew off, revealing a foot-tall goblet that seemed to be made from glowing crystal. At the very sight, we all burst into applause. Suddenly, Professor Snape, who was standing by the table with the other teachers, stepped down the stairs, his eyes fixed on the Goblet of Fire. Dumbledore followed his gaze and turned to the goblet, which was spewing vines of blue flame. The applause died down as he walked toward it. Surprisingly, the flames turned pink again, and shot up an additional piece of parchment. The headmaster reached up and caught it. What he said next made my heart start pounding furiously.

"Harry Potter."

My eyes went wide, and I looked at Harry. The color seemed to have drained from his face.

"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore repeated. Harry, who had tentatively risen a few inches from his seat, sat back down as hundreds of students turned to glower at him. I saw Hagrid shaking his head and muttering to himself. "_**Harry Potter!**_" This was too much for Hermione, who leaned down and put her hands on Harry's shoulders.

"Go on, Harry," she said, pushing Harry slightly. "Harry, for goodness sake." Harry finally relented, getting up and hesitantly walking towards the headmaster. As he walked, I noticed Ron glaring after him. _Oh, no._ After Harry took his parchment from a shell-shocked Dumbledore, he began the shameful walk down the aisle of unfriendly faces.

"He's a cheat!"

"He's not even seventeen yet!" I looked down, trying to take this all in. _What the __**devil? **__Why would Harry want to put his name in the goblet? __**How**__ could he even..._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I was still in shock when we returned to the common room. Everyone was. I sat on the sofa, followed immediately by Seamus, Dean, and Neville.

"Bloody hell! That's all I have to say."

"Very wise words, Seamus," Dean said. I looked down, not wanting to talk about it.

"Why d'you think he did it?" Seamus asked. Neville shrugged.

"I don't know why he'd even _want_ to," he answered. I nodded faintly. Ron walked over to us and sat down next to Seamus. He looked rather put out.

"You all right, Ron?" inquired Dean. Ron didn't look at him.

"Does it look like I am? How'd _you_ like it if _Seamus_ up and entered without telling you about it?" Dean chuckled.

"Like he'd ever have the guts." Seamus turned to Dean, not looking very happy.

"Oi, what're you playing at?" I couldn't take the tension anymore. Getting to my feet, I gave Neville a small wave and went upstairs.

Belle jumped into my arms the moment I got into bed. She immediately began licking my face, and I smiled.

"Alright, alright." I settled down, hoping for a good night's sleep without any nightmares...

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harry's news had spread like wildfire, and it wasn't even confined to the school. An article about him had already been published in the Daily Prophet. It was by Rita Skeeter. I brushed it off, however, remembering Mum mentioning that she tended to write gossip rather than facts.

All anyone could talk about was Harry. Most people didn't have very nice things to say about him. What really bothered me was that nobody seemed to believe he didn't do it.

One day, I was crossing the courtyard to lunch. Unfortunately, to get to the door, I had to pass the bench that Malfoy and his friends were sitting at. I walked as quickly as I could towards the door, but I was too late.

"Look who it is! The quarter quail herself." I shot him a glare as I kept walking. Unfortunately, Goyle shot up from the bench and stood in front of me, sneering down at me. Undaunted, I looked up at him.

"Would you please step aside, Goyle?" He pretended to think.

"Well, you said please, so...no." He laughed, along with the others. I took a step to the left, but Malfoy grabbed my arm and pulled me around to face him.

"Ah-ah-ah. Not so fast. You still haven't apologized for what you said at the Cup, Ravensdale." I raised my eyebrows at him and pulled my arm out of his grasp.

"Fine. You'll get your apology when **you** take back what you said about my father." He laughed out loud, as did the others.

"I didn't say anything out of line."

"No? Well, neither did I."

"Your Mudblood daddy certainly did." My eyes flashed, but I didn't let it get to me. I smiled.

"He was merely stating facts about how feeble you and your father are." The group of Slytherins looked at me incredulously and howled. Now it was Malfoy's turn to get mad.

"_Take that back, you_ _**filth.**_" I took a step back and crossed my arms.

"Make me, you _**git**_." With that, I turned around and headed for the door again. Suddenly, I heard the sound of robes rustling. Before I could turn around, I heard a menacing voice.

"Don't...even...**think**...about it." I turned to see Harry pointing his wand at Malfoy, who also had his wand out.

"Ooh, come to save the damsel in distress, Potter?" Without answering, Harry walked over to me, took my arm, and led me out the door. "This isn't over, Ravensdale!" Malfoy shouted after me.

After we were safe in the hall, Harry let go of me and we stopped in front of each other.

"Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded.

"I'm fine. Thanks for that." He smiled.

"No problem." There was an awkward pause before I spoke.

"Um, how've you been, Harry?" He shrugged.

"Lovely." I looked at him knowingly, and he looked at me with all seriousness. "I didn't put my name in, Lacey." I shook my head.

"I know you didn't. It's okay." He looked at me for a moment. "You don't really seem like you want all that attention. I don't think you liked it before all of this."

"Thanks. You must be the only one who believes me."

"That's not really true. Neville doesn't think you did it. And what about Hermione? And Ron?" He scoffed.

"Ron doesn't believe me in the slightest. He won't even speak to me." I frowned.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright." We walked to lunch, and indeed, Neville and I were the only ones that sat by Harry.

**0oooooooooooooooooooo0**

_**Next one will be up soon!**_


	5. Tonic of Tire

_**Read on, my rabid readers!**_

**TheBlessedChildSuki- Thanks again so much! =D**

**american highway flower- Haha, it's fine, I don't mind rambling. And thanks a ton! :D**

**0ooooooooooooooooooooo0**

"Lacey?" I looked up from my hands as I sat on the couch.

"Yes, Neville?"

"I'm going to go by the lake for a bit. You want to come along?" I thought for a bit. _It'd be nice to hang with someone who isn't obsessed with this stupid tournament. Then again, I always feel better around Neville. _I nodded.

"Sure." He smiled as I got up. We began the trek down the moving stairwell.

"My book talks about a bunch of plants, and I want to see if any are in the Black Lake."

"Oh, that's neat." I wanted to be more enthusiastic, but I just felt very blah. I hadn't slept very much at all for such a long time.

"Have you been able to sleep at all?" I looked at him.

"What makes you think...?" He pointed at my eyes.

"You've got dark circles under your eyes."

"Oh."

"You should talk to the nurse, or McGonagall." I shrugged.

"I'll think about it."

When we reached the lake, I sat down on a nearby log as Neville immediately kicked off his shoes, pulled up the legs of his trousers, and got in the water. It was just such a relaxing atmosphere. The wind was gently blowing through the trees, the lake was calm, and the sun wasn't too bright. _I could almost lay my head on this log and sleep..._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I'm not an owl!"

My head shot up from the bark. I'm not quite sure how long I slept for. It was probably at least an hour, or so. I certainly wouldn't get anymore for a while.

Taking in the scene, I rubbed my eyes enough to see Hermione, Ginny, and Ron walking away. Harry was standing by a tree near Neville. When Harry looked at me, the upset look in his face changed into one of concern. He started walking towards me.

"Hi, Harry," I said, yawning. "When'd you get here?" He sat down next to me.

"Not too long after you fell asleep. Are you okay? You look a bit tired." I nodded, rubbing my forehead.

"I _feel_ a bit tired."

"Neville said that your nightmares have started up again." I nodded.

"Yeah. I haven't been able to sleep at all for a while. I keep falling asleep during classes."

"Maybe you should get a potion that'll take away the dreams. Talk to-" I shook my head.

"No way. I'll keep the dreams."

"Snape will probably be able to make something. I don't like him either, but he _is_ the Potions Master." I shook my head.

"If it were anyone but him..." Harry's look of concern wouldn't go away. It didn't take me long to give in. "Fine, I'll think about it."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I felt someone furiously shaking my shoulders. My eyes opened slowly, but they shot open when I saw the look of panic in Neville's eyes.

"Lacey, he's coming this way!" he whispered, letting go of me. I had just picked up my head when Professor Snape reached our table.

"You insolent girl," he snapped, not making any effort to not draw attention to me. "This is the third time you've chosen to use my class for napping." Neville immediately jumped to my defense.

"Sir, she's not _choosing_ to-"

"I strongly suggest that you **hold your tongue,** Longbottom." Reluctantly, Neville looked down. Snape turned back to me. "_Your_ impertinence has just cost your house twenty points." All of the Gryffindors in the room groaned, while Malfoy impersonated fake snoring. "That will be all, Mr. Malfoy," Snape drawled. "And I'll deal with you after class," he snapped at me before heading to the next table.

I leaned my head against my hands, my mind filling with dread. Dean instantly came over and put his arm around me.

"Don't worry, Lace," Seamus whispered. "That lummox couldn't do anything to you if his life depended on it."

"And another five points for that remark, Mr. Finnegan." It took all of my self-control to not hex the grease out of Snape's hair.

When it was time to leave class, Neville looked at me reassuringly.

"I'll wait outside the door for you," he whispered.

"It's fine, you don't need to. I'll meet you back in the common room." After a few moments, he nodded. As soon as he was gone, I slumped into my seat, trying to brace myself. Snape sat at his desk and looked at me.

"I'm starting to lose my patience with you, Miss Ravensdale. You've been being disrespectful for quite some time, and I'm getting sick of your childish attitude." At this, I rolled my eyes.

"You think I'm **trying** to bother you? Would _you_ be able to stay awake if you hadn't slept in weeks?" Snape scoffed.

"It's your own fault if you're not getting enough sleep." _Okay, that's it!_ I shot out of my seat.

"It's not my fault! I can't sleep because I've been having nightmares, okay?" Snape got up and casually walked over to his bookcase.

"Foolish excuses are all I ever hear from children like you-"

"_**Would you listen to me?**_" Snape turned to look at me. Just then, I heard someone clear their throat behind me.

"Sorry to intrude, Professor." I turned to see Professor Moody limp into the room. "Professor Dumbledore needs to speak with you. Told me it's urgent." Snape cast a final glare at me before turning back to Moody and nodding.

"Very well." He walked past Moody and left. I had sat back down, my exhaustion and anger overwhelming me as tears slid down my cheeks.

"You're Ravensdale, am I right?" I nodded, not looking up. He shuffled forward a few steps and sat in the seat next to me. "Easy. You alright?" I shook my head.

"I hate him. So much."

"Sure," he said gruffly. "He can be stone cold, but he _is_ a professor." I would've rolled my eyes, but I was confused with how understanding he was being. He didn't strike me as a very personal fellow. "Your friend Longbottom said you've been having dreams." I looked at him.

"Neville?"

"Yeah. Ran into him on the way here. He was actually just waiting outside the dungeon door." I smiled. _I told him to go on! He's amazing._

"Yes. I have."

"Interfering with sleep?" I nodded.

"It's a recurring dream."

"What about?" I paused for a moment.

"The night my sister died." He seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.

"Ah, your sister. She was a very gifted young witch. It's a terrible shame what happened." I looked down and nodded. "Well, there's something that might work, if you'd like to try it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial. It was no longer than my index finger, and it held blue liquid. He handed it to me, and I looked at it.

"What is this, professor?"

"It's called Tonic of Tire. If you put one drop into a glass of water and drink it, you'll have a complete sleep without nightmares. It's quite rare, since a lot of wizards tend to have bad dreams. Especially in the old days." He seemed to be thinking of the past. I gazed at him, seeing the scars on his face. _He's like a war veteran._

He glanced back at me. "Listen, young lady. What I demonstrated in my first class a couple weeks ago was harsh, but it was for your own good. You need to know about these things. The Ministry thinks that only wizards that are of age should know, but unspeakable things have happened to children younger than you because they didn't know how to defend themselves." I thought about this for a while, and nodded.

"I see." With that, I slowly got up. "Well, thanks for...this, professor." I slid the vial into the pocket of my robe. "I appreciate it."

"Don't worry," he said with a hoarse chuckle. "I just want you to have that before you start falling asleep in my class." I couldn't suppress a smile.

That night, I enjoyed a full night's slumber without a single nightmare.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sleep wasn't a problem for the last few days before the first task. However, the tormenting of Harry was growing much worse. Someone had come up with a bright idea to make buttons that said "Potter Stinks." Naturally, I refused to wear one.

That night, we were all hanging out in the common room (except for Harry, who had retreated to the dormitory). I was sitting on the sofa next to Neville, mixing the sleeping potion into a glass of water.

"That's still working okay?" I nodded.

"Yeah. I haven't had a single nightmare since I started taking it." Neville smiled.

"Good." He leaned back against the sofa. "You know, that Moody's okay. He's a bit frightening sometimes, but he's alright." I nodded.

"True." _He is. He really is._

**0ooooooooooooooooo0**

_**Whew! I'm glad I finally got this to you guys. Hopefully, I'll have another one up tomorrow, CUZ IT'S FRIDAY! =D Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow! **_


	6. The First Task

_**Hello, me again! Enjoy!**_

**0oooooooooooooooooooo0**

"Bets! Place your bets!"

After several anxious weeks of waiting, it was time for the first task. We were all in an enormous arena located on one of the mountains next to Hogwarts. In the middle of the arena, there were several rocks and boulders. It didn't look very safe. However, there was also a large golden egg in the middle of the rocks. Meanwhile, Fred and George were walking around the stands collecting bets from the students. I rolled my eyes. _Those two._

Secretly, I was terrified. Not just for Harry, but also for the other champions. From what I had heard of the tournament, contestants have died in past years. I looked over past Neville, and saw that Ron looked a bit pale. _Well, I'm glad he's at least concerned for Harry._

"_**Your attention, please,**_" a loud booming voice suddenly spoke. I looked over to the teacher's stand, and saw that Dumbledore was holding his wand to his neck. "This is a great day for all of us." He went on to give us instructions on how to keep out of danger during the tasks, but I zoned out. I was thinking about what could happen to the champions if something were to go wrong. Even when Dumbledore stopped speaking, I looked down at my hands. I felt eyes boring into the side of my head.

"He'll be okay," Neville said gently. I nodded. _God, I hope so._ Then, Hermione joined us in the stands.

"Where were you?" I asked her.

"Wishing him luck," she answered. I smiled. _Good. He'll need it._

When the cannon sounded, Cedric Diggory came out of the tent. We quickly found out just what was expected of the champions when a monstrous roar was heard, followed quickly by a long stream of fire. _Is that a...__**dragon?**_

Surprisingly, Diggory was able to overcome the dragon and grab the golden egg (just barely, but still). My fear for Harry grew after Krum and Fleur faced their dragons and finished the task with a few cuts. _If these three were just barely able to make it...how Harry will even __**survive**_ _is beyond me!_

"Three of our champions have now faced their dragons," Dumbledore announced, "and so each one of them will proceed to the next task. And now our fourth and final contestant." After a few minutes, Harry slowly came out of the tent. The stadium erupted with applause, mostly from the Gryffindors.

"**You can do it, Harry!**" I screamed, knowing that he probably couldn't hear me. After we quieted down, Harry started walking towards the golden egg. Then, without warning, another enormous dragon appeared from the rocks and swung its tail at Harry, who luckily dodged it just in time.

The beast let out a roar, and shot a wave of fire right at him. Harry was able to roll down the rocks and avoid the flames. He got up and ran to one of the boulders, trying to climb it. The dragon went ballistic again and aimed its spiky tail at him, causing all of us to duck down in the stands. After a few moments, we slowly got up and kept watching. Harry took out his wand and ran again, resulting in another fire blast (and more ducking for us). Hermione instantly got up and leaned against the rail.

"_Your wand, Harry!_" she screamed as loud as she could. "_**Your wand!**_"

"_Accio Firebolt!_" Harry cried, waving his wand. The dragon took flight, and Harry retreated behind another boulder. This caused another fire attack from the dragon, but he was protected by the boulder. I suddenly heard a familiar whooshing sound, and looked up to see Harry's Firebolt broomstick flying right at him. As he leapt from the rock onto the broom in just enough time to escape the flames, I cheered.

"Yeah!"

"Yes!"

Flying around the arena, Harry soared towards the egg, his hand outstretched. I groaned when the dragon breathed more fire at him, forcing his hand away. Harry flew a bit higher, but the dragon continued its pursuit. In a matter of seconds, the chain holding it in the arena snapped like a rubber band, allowing it to follow Harry completely.

"Oh, my God," Ron gasped.

"Oh, no," I whispered. The chase continued, and Harry suddenly flew under the tarp of the teacher's stand, emerging on the other side. In the dragon's determination to follow, it sliced the tent completely in half with its tail. I gasped, hoping the teachers were alright. The twins were loving it, though.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah! Well done, dragon!" Even Ron was smiling. Harry and the dragon flew around the mountain in the direction of the school, to the point where we couldn't see either of them. We could still hear the roars of the dragon, though. All we could do was wait.

I glanced nervously at Neville, who mirrored it back. Minutes dragged by, tormenting us all. Literally shaking, I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes. _God, please let him be okay. Just let him survive._ Mum had always taught me to pray in desperate situations, and if there was such a thing, this was it. Then, there was a moment in which everyone was dead silent. I literally held my breath.

Then, by the grace of God, Harry flew around the side of the mountain. The dragon was nowhere to be seen. I let out my breath as the arena erupted with screaming.

"_Yes!_ _**Yes!**_" Hermione was ecstatic, as were the rest of the Gryffindors. We let out another cry of victory as Harry scooped up the egg in his hand.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

By the time we all returned to the common room, everyone was still cheering. Harry stood in the middle of the room, proudly holding the golden egg in his hand. Every single Gryffindor surrounded him, whooping and screaming. Fred and George suddenly ran forward and lifted Harry onto their shoulders. Laughing, Harry tossed the egg into the crowd. We passed it around in a circle as the twins praised him.

"Yes, Harry!"

"Knew you wouldn't die, Harry. Lose a leg."

"Or an arm."

"Pack it in altogether?" They screamed in unison.

"_**Never!**_" The egg reached me at this point. I playfully passed it to Neville, who passed it to Dean, who then handed it to Seamus.

"Shush!" Seamus kissed the egg, and tossed it to Harry, who was still above the ground. "Go on, Harry! What's the clue?" Harry looked at the egg, then back to us.

"Who wants me to open it?" We all screamed in approval. "Do you want me to open it?" Again, approval.

"Yeah!"

"Do it!" With that, Harry turned the little switch on top of the egg. At the moment it opened, the room filled with the most piercing and inhuman sound in the entire universe. It was so unbearable that the twins dropped Harry in their determination to cover their ears. I bent over nearly to the ground, pressing my hands to my ears so hard it felt like my brain would explode. _Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop..._ After what seemed like forever, Harry was able to close the egg back up again.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

We all looked towards the door to see Ron standing there awkwardly. _Oh, boy,_ I thought to myself as the crowd dispersed, leaving Harry and Ron to face each other. I walked over to sit in a chair near the corner of the room. Neville walked over to join me, sitting down against the wall.

"Scary, huh?" I nodded.

"Yeah. Scary."

"What d'you think the next one will be?"

"I'm not sure, but I can bet it won't be painless."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The excitement had worn off over the course of a few days. There was some time before the next task, so the mood was a bit more relaxed. Classes went by normally, for the most part. Except for one.

Snape was in a fouler mood than usual. _He's probably mad that Harry did so well,_ I thought, smiling slightly. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Malfoy reaching towards Harry's cauldron while the latter's back was turned. He sprinkled something into the potion and sat back into his seat just as Harry turned back around.

Before I had a chance to say anything, Harry's potion started to boil over. In a matter of seconds, the liquid dripped into the flame and caught fire. Harry jumped back, while Ron fanned the flames with his book. However, Hermione was staring right at Malfoy. Snape was there in a flash. The fire was out with a wave of his wand.

"It seems that you've let your victory take too much control over your head, Potter," he drawled. Malfoy snickered a few tables away. "Five points from Gryffindor." I gasped, as did several others. As Snape turned away, Hermione instantly got up.

"Professor, it wasn't his fault!" Snape stopped walking. "Malfoy put something in Harry's cauldron while his back was turned." Turning around to face her, Snape sneered.

"Lying for Potter, are we, Miss Granger? There's another five points you've lost for your house." Hermione's face went red. Anger brewed inside me as I stood up.

"Sir, she's not lying. I saw him, too!" Snape slowly turned towards me.

"I don't believe anybody asked you to comment, Miss Ravensdale."

"You're right, sir. I chose to say something to keep you from punishing the wrong house." Very slowly, Snape started walking towards me. I felt slightly intimidated, but I refused to show it.

"I strongly suggest that you sit back down and shut your mouth." I waited several moments. _Lacey, sit down!_ _**Don't do it! **__Just do as he says! __**No! Put him in his place!**_ Very slowly, without taking my eyes away from his, I sat back down in my chair. He stepped back, content. I turned to glare at Malfoy, who raised his eyebrows at me.

Luckily, something arose the next day that made everyone forget about Potions, Malfoy, and any problem that existed.

**0ooooooooooooooooooooo0**

_**Can you guess what it's time for? Let me know!**_


	7. I Have My Reasons

_**Read at your own risk... =)**_

**0oooooooooooooooooooooo0**

Professor McGonagall had all of the Gryffindors (fourth-year and older) gathered in a large room. The girls sat on one side, while the boys sat on the other. Nobody knew what McGonagall was going to say, but knowing her, we suspected that it would have to do with being very well-mannered.

"The Yule Ball," said the professor, "has been a tradition of the-" She glanced at Filch, who was preparing a large phonograph, and making quite a bit of noise while doing so. "-Triwizard Tournament...since its inception. On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity." She suddenly looked a bit more serious. "As representatives of the host schools, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."

As soon as I heard that word, I rolled my eyes; most of the boys did the same, if not more. _Oh __**please**__, not more love stuff. _McGonagall lifted her hands.

"Silence!" We instantly became dead quiet. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!" I looked down at my lap, trying to hide my smile.

"Now, to dance is to let the body...breathe," she continued, her face becoming more relaxed. "Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers longing to burst forth and take flight." Ron whispered something to Seamus and giggled. McGonagall looked right at him. "Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepares to prance. Mr. Weasley." Ron looked up with sheep eyes.

"Yes?"

"Would you join me, please?" Ron got up, his eyes wide. A few of the boys smiled. After leading him to the middle of the room, McGonagall turned to face Ron. "Now, place your right hand on my waist." Ron looked terrified.

"Where?"

"My waist." He hesitantly placed his hand on the professor's waist. He lowered it when one of the boys whistled lewdly, but McGonagall moved it back where it was. "And extend your arm." They were in a full dance pose. "Mr. Filch, if you please." Filch turned the phonograph on, and it started playing a slow waltz.

Ron and McGonagall slowly started moving to the music. "One two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three..." Fred and George looked like Christmas had arrived early. "Everybody come together. Boys, on your feet!" The girls all got up around me, so I slowly rose from my seat. I didn't walk more that a few inches from it, though. Most of the boys stayed where they were, except for one.

"Want to?" Neville had walked straight to me, and was holding his hand out. I looked at it, then up at him.

"I haven't the faintest idea how to."

"Neither do I." I smiled slightly and took his hand. He put his right hand on my waist, while I put my left hand up on his shoulder. McGonagall, who had finally released Ron, was walking around the room, forcing people into awkward pairs. When she saw me and Neville, she smiled.

"Very good, you two. But Mr. Longbottom, hold Miss Ravensdale a bit closer to you. It's easier that way." I gulped, blood instantly rushing to my face as Neville pulled me closer, so that our bodies were almost touching. "Everyone together! One, two, three. One, two, three..."

It was rather difficult at first, especially since Neville kept stepping on my toes. But the professor had everyone dancing for nearly an hour, so by the time it was over, everyone knew almost exactly what to do.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

During a free period that day, I was studying up on my Potions notes. I definitely didn't want to give Snape another excuse to get nasty. However, I was just reaching for a piece of parchment when I noticed a middle-sized owl sitting on the table. It stared at me with its beady eyes. After a few seconds, I realized that the owl was holding a fairly big package.

"Oh!" I took the package, and reached into my pocket to take out a few seeds. The owl ate them up gratefully and took off. I looked down at the package in my hands and smiled when I saw that it was from Mum and Dad. I ripped open the brown paper and opened the box. Inside, there was tissue paper. On top of it was a letter. The envelope had "_**Open This First**_" written on it, so I picked it up and opened it.

_Darling Lacey,_

_ Your mother and I hope that you're doing wonderfully at school. _

_ Now, we have something to say to you. Not long after your sister died, we picked up her room and found a letter on top of a box. It was from Arabella, saying that if anything happened to her, **we** were not to open that box, but that **you** were to open it no earlier than the night of December 24th when you are fourteen years old. That's this year. So, we thought we'd go ahead and send it to you. Remember, **do not open the box before Christmas Eve night**._

_Love,_

_Dad_

I put down the letter and dug through the paper. I found a rectangular box wrapped in more paper. Curiosity nagged at me, but I shook it away. _I'll just wait until nightfall and open it immediately then! _Then, another thought came to my mind. _Wait...the Yule Ball..._ My mind was conflicted. I was so anxious to know what was in that box, but... _Oh, well. I can't dance anyways._

At that moment, I made the decision not to attend the Yule Ball.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

During the weeks that followed, all anyone could talk about was the Ball. Even Seamus and Dean were riled up about it. Also, people were rushing to find dates, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Eventually, to get away from the madness, I put on my coat and walked down to the lake.

Even though the Black Lake's name is a bit creepy, it's actually a very relaxing place. As long as you don't go too far out, that is. The coastline was starting to get a bit frosty, as were the limbs of the surrounding trees. I sat down on the log that I had fallen asleep on several weeks earlier.

My thoughts drifted back to the box. I didn't really understand what it was for. Did Arabella have an important message for me? Or...was she trying to warn me about something?

"Hi, Lacey." I turned to see Neville walking down the hill towards me. I smiled.

"Hey." He sat on the log next to me. He was bundled up in his Gryffindor scarf and ear muffs, but his face was still pretty red from the cold.

"What're you doing down here?" I shrugged.

"Dunno. Just...thinking." He nodded.

"About what?"

"Just...life."

"Ah." He smiled. I noticed that the looked slightly troubled.

"Is everything alright, Neville?" He nodded.

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. It's just...I actually wanted to ask you something." I turned towards him.

"Really? And what's that?" I became a little concerned. He looked awfully nervous. He looked down for a moment, then back at me.

"Umm...I was wondering...do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

My heart nearly stopped. _A boy's actually...asking me to a ball?_ _But Arabella's..._ I smiled and looked down for a moment.

"Neville, the fact that you asked me...I can't begin to say how much it means to me." He smiled. "But...I'm actually not going to the Ball." I looked back at him. He nodded, but judging by the look in his eyes, I could tell he was disappointed. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." He smiled. "But...how come you're not going?" I thought about telling him, but I decided it was best to keep it to myself.

"I have my reasons."

"Okay." Sitting there in silence, we both stared at the water, which was rippling in the gentle breeze.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next day, I was hanging out in the common room during free period. All of the chatter about the Ball was driving me crazy. Sitting on the couch with Belle in my arms cleared my head greatly, though. The door suddenly opened, revealing Ron.

"Oh. Hey, Ron." He smiled.

"Hi, Lacey." He walked into the room and took off his scarf. "Getting cold." I nodded. He went to go upstairs, but stopped suddenly. Turning back around to face me, he spoke. "Lace."

"Hmm?" He struggled to find words.

"Wanna go to the Ball with me?" He then made some weird motion with his arms, as if imitating dancing. Slightly shocked from being asked to the Ball by two different people in two days, I shook my head.

"I'm not going to the Ball, but I appreciate your offer." His eyes widened.

"What? Are you mental?"

"Umm...I don't **think** I am."

"Everyone's going! Why wouldn't you wanna go?"

"I...have my reasons." He shrugged.

"Alright, suit yourself." He went up to the boy's dormitories. I giggled slightly. _Poor bloke, he's looking for a last-second date._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Apparently, both Ron _and_ Harry were having trouble finding dates. This was surprising, considering the fact that everyone else already had them. Seamus had asked one of the Beauxbaton girls, Neville had asked Ginny, and Hermione had confided in me that she was going with Viktor Krum. She had told me not to mention it to Ron or Harry, though, which I didn't.

Anyways, I had bumped into Harry on my way to the loo later that night, and he just started babbling.

"Lacey, uhh...you...are you well? I mean, going..." I didn't know what he was saying.

"What?"

"Will you go to the Ball with me?" This really shocked me. _Bloody hell! Harry Potter just asked me to the Ball? _Nevertheless, I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but no. I'm not going to the Ball."

"Why not?"

"I...can't tell you right now, but I will later. I promise." Slightly confused, Harry nodded.

"Okay. Great." He started walking away.

"Good luck," I called after him, smiling. He smiled back.

"Thanks." As I continued on my present course, I couldn't help but think about the Ball. _Who would I go with if I was going?_ At the time, I was pretty sure I knew the answer to that question. Looking back now, I know who I would have gone with in a second.

**0oooooooooooooooo0**

_**Ohhh, boy! Heads up for next chapter ~ SHE'S OPENING THE BOX!**_


	8. Learning the Truth

_**I hope you like this one!**_

**TheBlessedChildSuki- Ooh, I'm sorry you're stressed! That's never fun ): But I'm glad you liked the last chapter =D**

**american highway flower- Thanks so much! :D**

**0ooooooooooooooooo0**

Finally, just as it was starting to seem like the day would never arrive, it was Christmas Eve. The breakfast table was buzzing with chatter about dresses, dress robes, flowers, and other rubbish. However, nothing could have compared to what it was like that night.

The girls were running around the dormitories, pestering each other about their dresses and hair. Since I wasn't attending, I was helping several girls get ready.

"Ginny, you look fabulous!" The younger girl smiled at me as I finished pinning her dress for her.

"Thanks." I led the way down the stairs and opened the common room door. There were several boys clad in their dress robes, waiting for their dates to come down.

"Alright, you lot!" I shouted over the crowd. "Which of you lucky men ordered this stunning young lady to go?" When Neville stepped forward, I barely recognized him. He was dressed in amazingly handsome robes, and he had set his hair back.

"Hey there." Ginny stepped forward just as the door leading to the boy's dormitory opened. I turned to look as I heard a wave of laughter.

"Oh, shove off!" Ron shouted over the crowd, Harry standing next to him. I nearly burst into giggles when I saw the robes Ron was wearing. They looked like they could've come from the Tudor Dynasty. Catching my eye, Ron fought his way through the crowd and stopped next to Ginny.

"You look so pretty," Ginny said. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." He turned towards me. "Lace, you've gotta help me! Don't you have spare fabric up there or something?" I looked at him incredulously.

"Do I look like a seamstress to you?" I glanced down at myself and was reminded of the cloth pins attached to the apron I was wearing. _Blimey, I'm a pincushion!_ "I don't have anything, but...you look fine." _Wrong thing to say._

"_Fine?_ _**Fine?**_" Ron was panicking. "I look like bloody Louis the Sixteenth! I'll be laughed right off the dance floor!" Trying to hold in the laughter, I patted his shoulder.

"It's just one night." I turned back to Neville and Ginny. "Alright, you two have fun. As for you, Harry, you'd better take Queen Anne downstairs as well." The entire room roared with laughter. Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was one of the girls.

"We need you badly up here, Lace."

"All right." I looked back at my friends. Ginny was speaking to one of her friends while Harry was trying to keep Ron from hyperventilating, but I was able to catch Neville's eyes. "Have a great night." He smiled.

"Thanks." I turned around and returned to the sea of estrogen.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The last to go was Hermione.

"You look perfect," I barely managed to say. She was dressed in a magnificent flowing gown, and her hair was twirling beautifully down her shoulders.

"Thanks." I patted her on the shoulder.

"Have fun tonight." She smiled and looked at me with concern.

"Lacey, are you sure you don't want to..."

"Yes. I have something important I need to do."

"Alright. Have a nice night." A few minutes later, it was officially nightfall, and I was completely alone. It was time to open the box.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Well, here goes nothing." Belle had transformed back into a dog, and was sitting at my side, gazing at my face. I shifted on the bed as I looked at the box in my hands. _Go on, Lacey. Do it._

I lifted the lid to reveal three objects. The first was a letter with my name on it, the second was a fairly large silver oval locket, and the third was a small leather journal. _What on..._ I opened the letter and started reading.

_Lacey,_

_My darling, sweet, and perfect little sister. There are no words that I can use to express how sorry I am for the pain and confusion you must have gone through these past several years. I wish there was some way for me to bring you comfort, but I hope this appeases you a little._

_In this box, you'll find two things. First, the locket – you must wear it and keep it on at **all times**. But this is very important: **do ****not** **open it yet**. You must wait until the time is right. You'll know._

_The second is my diary. I started it the day you were born, which was also the day...oh, you'll find out. I want you to read **every** page of this diary. However, you're not going to like what you'll find. But no matter what you think of me after you read it, know this – **I love you** with every fiber of my being. And I pray that reading the diary helps to lift some of the uncertainty._

_Every Ounce of my Love,_

_Your Sister,_

_Arabella_

_P.S. ~ You'll probably tell Mum and Dad about what you read. When you do, please tell them that I'm sorry._

I was completely speechless. There was happiness, worry, fear...I instantly picked up the locket and put it around my neck. Once it was on, I felt a wave of calm run through me, as if my qualms had melted away for a few seconds. Then, my hands shaking, I opened the diary.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

_**December 9th**_

_** My sister is here! I've waited so long, and she's finally here! She's beautiful; her face is so full of brightness...a perfect baby girl! Mum and Dad are both so happy. And so am I.**_

_** This is easily the best day of my life. Even combined with what I just learned...I had a meeting with the Order tonight. Remus has informed us that several members have been targeted by Voldemort; some for recruiting, some for death. Lily and James have been marked for death, but they plan to hide. I hope they'll be okay...**_

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

_Harry's parents!_ Anxiously, I kept reading...

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

_**January 16th**_

_** Lacey literally gets more beautiful every day. I love how her hair stands up in cute tufts. She's so precious!**_

_** There's something wrong, though. I haven't even told Mum and Dad. I received a message from Alastor a few days ago. He said that a Death Eater he had brought down was muttering things about Voldemort, and mentioned that I'm the main person he wants to recruit. The wizard apparently said that I'd join or die.**_

_** Alastor said that it was probably rubbish, but I received a letter today. It didn't say who it was from. It read: "The 26th of April. Attempting to run or hide would be a very unwise move."**_

_** I don't know what to make of it...**_

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

As I read through February and reached March, my heart pounded faster and faster...

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

_**March 24th**_

_** It's definite. I've gotten more letters, heard more whispers...Voldemort and some of his followers plan to track me down and force me to join them. The only one who knows besides me is Alastor, and he hasn't told anyone.**_

_** He wants me to go into hiding, like James and Lily did. Even Lily has written me a secret letter begging me to do so. I've considered it, at times. But...we can't move right now. Lacey's just a baby. And even if we did, we'd be found eventually. It'd just be too much.**_

_** I'm not going to join Voldemort. And I'm not going to run.**_

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

_Wait...__**what?**_ Belle licked my hand as I read on to April...

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

_**April 26th**_

_** Well, they're coming tonight. I can feel the evil in the air. Mum and Dad have been invited to dinner with one of our Muggle friends. She lives a few blocks from here, so they'll be safe. I only wish they'd taken Lacey with them, so she wouldn't see. But it's for adults only, and they needed me to baby-sit. I won't let anything hurt her...**_

_** I'm looking at her right now. I'm smiling, not just to reassure her, but also because she's the most precious jewel in my life. As I'm writing this, I realize that this will be the last time I ever see that beautiful face. But I don't mind. I'm afraid to die, but I'm not afraid to die if it means that she'll be able to go on. **_

_** This is my final entry. Good-bye.**_

_** Lacey, I love you.**_

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

I had no words. In that moment, it felt as if every drop of my blood had left my body. My hands started shaking, and my breath caught in my throat. Dropping the diary on the bed, I backed up against my pillow and pulled my knees to my chest. Belle put her paws on my knees and licked my face. It felt nice, but nothing could have comforted me at that moment.

I stayed like that for a long time. When the door opened, I barely noticed. Still, I looked up. Hermione had returned, but she looked a bit put out. Once she saw me, she immediately looked concerned.

"Lacey?" She slowly walked toward me. "What is it?" I glanced from her to the journal, and when she hesitantly reached towards it, I nodded. Tears fell down my cheeks as she opened it.

"She knew they were coming." After a few minutes of reading, she understood. Her face was full of sorrow.

"Lacey, I'm...I'm so sorry." Even as she embraced me, the horrid feeling of sorrow didn't go away. It wouldn't for a long time.

**0ooooooooooooooooooooooooo0**

_**Whew. [Sighs] What do you guys think? Review and let me know =)**_


	9. The Second Task

_**Hi, everyone. Sorry this chapter took me longer than usual, but I was swamped with work. MAJOR writers block. DX But read on, my dears! **_

_**BTW, guess what? I was Neville for Halloween! =D**_

_**And one more thing ~ I recently got my first job (YAY!), and I don't know how severely that will affect my free time. Still, I'll try to update as much as I can.**_

**TheBlessedChildSuki- Haha, that IS creepy! Good for you for guessing correctly! And I'll try to update as much as my STUPID college crap will let me DX**

**Nestling- Thanks, I'm happy I amazed you! =D As for the asking-to-the-Ball scene, hmmm... Is it that it was OOC for Neville? I don't know... /:**

**0ooooooooooooooooooooooo0**

The days passed numbly, and I was back home. After Hermione, the next to find out was Harry, and I told Neville on the train. Now came the hard part: I had to tell Mum and Dad.

"Lacey, if you don't feel comfortable telling us..." I shook my head.

"It's fine, Dad." We were sitting on the living room couch. The sun was shining outside, reflecting off of the glittering snow. "Well...that box you two sent me?" They nodded as I picked it up from the coffee table and set it on my lap. I opened it and picked up the diary with one hand. "She left me this, along with this locket." I fingered the silver locket, which was still around my neck.

"It's beautiful," Mum said, smiling. I smiled back.

"But...I don't know if I can explain, so...why don't you two read this?" I handed the journal to Dad, who took it hesitantly...

By the time Mum and Dad finished reading, all three of us were crying.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That wasn't a very cheerful holiday. My parents both assured me that we would "get through it" and "figure it out," but I still felt hopeless. I wouldn't figure anything out about it until **much** later...

I was still in a daze about it while on the train back to Hogwarts. Belle licked my hand in an attempt to snap me out of it, but I just couldn't feel happy.

"Did you tell your parents?" I nodded at Neville, who was looking at me with concern.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Is there anything I can do?" I looked at him.

"I don't know," I said, shrugging. "What can _anyone_ do?" He nodded slightly. "I mean, this changes a lot. It changes _everything!_" I looked down, not wanting to think about this, or about anything. _Arabella, __**why?**__ Why did you die when you could have lived?_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The weeks passed like months, but it was finally time for the second task. I had no idea what was going to happen. All anyone knew was that we were going down to the Black Lake. I threw on my coat and joined the eager crowd.

Fred and George were taking bets as usual. They walked up and down the grassy hill as the students made their way towards the water. When I saw several boats lined up next to the dock, I was confused. _Why are we...?_ Then, I looked up and saw three enormous piers in the center of the lake. I went down and sat in one of the boats. _What'll happen? I hope nobody gets hurt..._

"You seem a little tense, Harry."

"Do I?" I looked up and saw Neville and Harry walking down the dock. Harry looked especially on edge, glancing around as if he was looking for something. Or someone.

"Hi, guys," I said as the sat down in the boat.

"Hey, Lacey," said Neville. I looked at Harry.

"All right, Harry?" He looked at his hands.

"Brilliant." I knew he was being sarcastic, but I nodded anyways. "You haven's seen Hermione or Ron, have you?" I shook my head.

"No. Why, are they missing?" I glanced around as the boat started moving. _This is very strange..._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The piers must have been at least fifty feet above the water. The boat stopped next to the one in the middle. As I climbed up from the boat, I immediately went near where Fleur, Cedric, and Krum were standing in their swimming clothes. Harry went over and joined them. Neville came to stand next to me.

"I hope he'll be okay," I muttered.

"Don't worry," Neville replied, sounding surprisingly confident. "He'll make it." I looked at him, confused. He smiled.

"What makes you so sure? Have you heard the stories about this lake?" He leaned in towards me, still smiling, and whispered.

"I gave him some gillyweed." _Gillyweed?_

"What the devil is gillyweed?" I whispered back, my eyes going wide.

"It'll help him breathe in the water. If the other champions are more advanced, at least this'll give him a fighting chance." I thought about this for a while, and nodded.

"Welcome to the second task," Dumbledore's voice thundered over us. "Last night, something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake. In order to win, each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Simple enough, except for this: They will have but one hour to do so, and one hour only. After that, they'll be on their own. No magic will save them." I gulped. _I knew it was too good to be true. _"You may begin at the sound of the cannon."

Immediately after the headmaster said "cannon," a loud boom was heard. Filch was still having trouble with it. Krum, Fleur, and Cedric immediately dived into the water, but Harry looked like he was choking. I was about to step forward, but Moody reached out and pushed Harry into the water. My heart racing, I turned to Neville.

"What happened? Did he choke on it?" Neville looked equally panicked.

"I don't know!" Seamus and Dean suddenly walked over and kneeled by the edge.

"What's the matter with him?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know," Dean answered. "I can't see him." I covered my mouth, feeling faint. Neville grasped his head and turned away from the scene.

"Oh, my God! I've killed Harry Potter!"

I looked out to the water just in time to see a figure leap out. It had long flippers for legs, and it was wearing a red swimming jersey... _Harry!_ He yelled out in joy, and dived back down. Neville turned around, but he had missed it. He looked at me, and then at Seamus and Dean.

"What?" I had to laugh out loud at this. Neville bent over to look into the lake, and I put my hands on his shoulders.

"Neville, you're a bloody genius!"

The excitement slowly wore off as the minutes passed. Everyone waited anxiously for someone to surface. Suddenly, a splashing figure appeared. It was Fleur. I was about to clap, but I noticed that she didn't have anything with her.

"The Beauxbatons champion, Miss Delacour, has unfortunately been forced to retire, so she will take no further part in this task." Fleur's friends wrapped her in a towel as she climbed back onto the deck. More minutes passed, and soon, it was a mere ten minutes before the hour expired. _Oh, God. Where are they?_

Then, there was another splash. Cedric was swimming towards the pier, but there was somebody else with him. I recognized her as Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw. As I remember, she and Cedric were involved.

Not long after that, Krum surfaced. With him was Hermione. _Wait...is that where...?_ My heart skipped a beat when I realized that Ron was probably in the water. It started to make sense.

"Come on, Harry," I whispered to myself.

A few minutes later, the clock struck twelve. I felt a rush of joy as two more figures broke the water. But Harry wasn't one of them. Ron, along with Fleur's little sister, made their way towards the pier. Fleur extended her hand to help them, muttering in French.

It suddenly occurred to me that Harry was nowhere to be found. _Oh, no! Is he okay? What if...?_

I never finished that thought, because mere seconds later, Harry shot out of the lake and landed right on the deck. I cheered out loud and ran over to help. Seamus put a towel over him as Dumbledore shouted something at Mr. Crouch. I knelt down to look at Harry, who was still coughing up water.

"Thank God! Are you okay?" He was just able to nod. As Seamus rubbed Harry's arms, Fleur suddenly knelt in front of him.

"You saved her, even though she wasn't yours to save." She indicated her sister, who was standing nearby, wrapped in a towel. "My little sister!" Then, to everyone's surprise, she grasped his head and kissed him on both cheeks. "Thank you!" I helped put another towel around him as the emotional girl suddenly got up to address Ron. "And you! You helped!" Ron looked shocked for a moment, but nodded.

"Well, yeah, a bit." He received two a kiss to each cheek as a reward before Fleur led her sister away. Ron rubbed his cheek, looking star-struck. I chuckled slightly, and then went back to getting the blood in Harry's arms flowing again.

"Harry!" Hermione knelt in front of Harry and threw her towel around him.

"Hermione!" Harry gasped.

"Are you alright? You must be freezing. Personally, I think you behave admirably."

"I finished last, Hermione." I smiled as Hermione planted a kiss on Harry's head.

"Next to last. Fleur never got past the Grindylows." I smiled at Neville, who was kneeling behind Hermione. He mirrored it back. We all got up as Dumbledore stepped forward.

"Attention!" Nobody was paying attention. As he raised his wand, I covered my ears, knowing what was about to happen.

"_**Attention!**_" Everyone covered their ears. "The winner is Mr. Diggory-" Several people broke into applause. "-who showed innate command of the Bubble-Head Charm. However, seeing as Mr. Potter would've finished first, had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Mr. Weasley, but the others as well, we've agreed to award him second place for outstanding moral fiber." We broke into cheer. I patted Harry on the shoulder.

"Well done, Harry!" He smiled. Everyone seemed to be in good cheer except for Karkaroff and the Durmstrang boys. They were booing Harry, but their protests were drowned out by the screams of victory coming from countless others.

**0oooooooooooooooooo0**

_**I hope you liked it! Again, sorry it took me so long.**_


	10. He's Back

_**Hello again! Long time no see! (I had extra time, so I thought, "What the heck?")**_

_**I hope you enjoy this chapter =)**_

**TheBlessedChildSuki- Yeah, that's one of my favorite Neville lines! And that's AWESOME that you were Hermione =D **

**0oooooooooooooooooooooooo0**

The next few months passed incredibly slowly. Sure, everyone was still excited about the final task, but they were also worried. The day after the second task, we learned that Mr. Crouch had been found dead. Nobody knew why, but it definitely wasn't an accident.

I didn't focus too much on the upcoming task. Although, I was feeling less worried about Harry. His victories against the dragon and in the lake made me more confident that he would pull through.

There was one small problem, though. I was running quite low on the Tonic of Tire that Moody had given me, but I was hesitant to ask him for more. It's not that I was **afraid **of him, mind you. The fact that he knew of Arabella's situation and kept quiet about it didn't sit very well with me. Still, I didn't want my dreams to come back, so after Defense Against the Dark Arts, I told my friends to go without me. Moody eyed me from his desk.

"Can I help you, Miss Ravensdale?" I nodded and approached his desk slowly. _Should I ask him for the tonic first? Or should I...?_

"Yes, sir. I, um..." I was getting a bit tongue-tied. "I've wanted to talk to you about something that I found out a while ago." He eyed me curiously.

"And what is that?"

"Well, I...I already knew that my sister was targeted by...You-Know-Who, but I didn't know that **she** knew about it." I paused.

"Go on," he said.

"And...she left something to me. It said that my parents didn't know she was a target, but that a few other people **did** know." Moody's expression didn't change. "One of the people who knew was..._you,_ professor." He sat back in his seat. "At least, that's what it said." I looked down.

"I see." He slowly got up from his chair. Taking his staff, he limped over to one of the windows. "I suppose you're wondering why I didn't say anything."

"Yes, sir." He paused, and then glanced over at me.

"Well, she said that she didn't want anybody getting involved with it." I was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"She claimed that he wouldn't find her, and that she could take care of herself." _But...that sounds so unlike her!_ Moody limped back over to the desk. "I know I should've said something. But she seemed so confident. And I **believed** that she'd have the power to fight him off." I looked at him. Judging by the look on his face, I could see how sincere he was. I nodded and looked down.

"I didn't mean to be harsh." He shook his head.

"I'd think you were heartless if you weren't harsh. It's your sister, after all." I nodded. I was about to speak again, but he seemed to read my mind. "By the way, is that stuff I gave you still working?" I nodded.

"Yes, thank you. But it's actually running a bit low." He nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, I was afraid of that. If I had more, I'd give it to you. But that's how rare it is." My heart dropping slightly, I nodded. "But even after it runs out, the effect should last for about a week before your dreams come back." _I guess that makes it a bit better._

"Okay."

After leaving, I felt very strange. I didn't think he was lying, but I just didn't understand his explanation. _Why would Arabella want to fight Voldemort? Surely she knew how futile that was! Didn't she?_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The night before the third task, I drank my glass of water. Looking into the tiny vial, I saw that there was only one drop left.

"You're running low?" I turned to see Harry standing next to the sofa I was on.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "Moody said that the effect will last for a week after it runs out, though." He nodded.

"That's good." He sat down next to me and rested his head in his hands.

"Nervous?"

"Yeah." I looked at the vial, and then back at him.

"Want this?" He looked at the potion and shook his head.

"Oh, no, you keep it. I'll be fine." I nodded.

"Okay." There was a small pause. "You'll do great tomorrow, Harry." He looked at me. "And just think: after you complete the task, it's over." A small smile appeared on his face.

"Thanks, Lacey."

"No problem."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After dinner the next day, we all went outside to another arena. It looked quite bare. There weren't sharp boulders, nor was there an enormous lake. There were four entryways to what looked like a giant maze of bushes.

We all took our seats in the stands. Neville sat beside me, along with Parvati. Ron and Hermione were close by, too. There were several parents there, including Mr. Weasley; my parents wanted to come, but our neighbor had coerced them into attending the church potluck. The students were very riled up, covered in face paint that represented their champion. The Beauxbaton girls were doing a cheer, and there were banners all over the place.

Then, the school band assembled in the stands. Professor Flitwick walked out onto the grass and stood in front of them. Raising his wand, he started. The band began playing a happy festive tune as Mr. Diggory ran into the arena to introduce Cedric. He was followed by Fleur and Madam Maxime. Then came Karkaroff and Krum. Finally, Dumbledore led Harry into the arena. We stood up and cheered.

"_Sonorus!_" Dumbledore was standing on the podium in the middle of the arena. His wand was pointed at his neck, not to my surprise. "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now, as Mr. Diggory and Mr. Potter-" He paused for the applause. "-are tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze, followed by Mr. Krum and Miss Delacour." More applause. "The first person to touch the cup will be the winner!"

We all screamed and cheered. My throat was starting to get sore.

"I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter. Should, at any point, a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands." He turned to the four students. "Contestants! Gather round. Quickly!"

He brought them close and started speaking to them. Nobody could hear what he said, but I could tell by their faces that it wasn't a knock-knock joke. They started walking towards their respective entrances.

"Champions, prepare yourselves!" We stood to cheer again.

"Yeah, Harry!" I screamed, along with many others. Mr. Diggory hugged his son, and the headmasters started muttering last-minute tips to their champions. Dumbledore stepped forward again.

"On the count of three. One-" The cannon went off. Filch shrugged at the headmaster, who waved it away like it was nothing. I rolled my eyes before going back to cheering. The band played the fanfare again. Cedric and Harry slowly went through their entrances. My eyes went wide when the bushes magically came together to close the pathway. Five minutes went by.

"Now, Mr. Krum and Miss Delacour will enter the maze!" Their classmates started cheering wildly for them as they entered. After their respective paths closed up, we sat down. It became dead quiet. All there was left to do was wait.

The minutes ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace. I fiddled with my hands, staring down at them. _What's in that maze, anyway? _Suddenly, red sparks exploded in the sky. Everyone started chattering excitedly. A few moments later, one of the staff members came out of the maze with a grip on Fleur's arm. She was covered in dirt and she had a few scratches, but she was alive. A few of the Beauxbaton girls ran over to her and led her to the stands.

"Miss Delacour had forfeited!" Dumbledore announced. "We're now waiting on Mr. Diggory, Mr. Krum, and Mr. Potter!" There was another burst of cheer before the stands grew quiet again. My heart started to race.

"What'd you think is in there?" Parvati asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know, but it's probably something bad."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

About thirty minutes dragged by. I was starting to wonder if the task would ever end. Then, Krum appeared, but he didn't have the cup. In fact, he seemed confused, as if he'd just waken up. Karkaroff walked over to him, and they muttered for a moment. The angry headmaster then walked over to Dumbledore.

"This is an outrage! Krum was bewitched!" I gasped.

"Who would do that?" I asked myself. Dumbledore turned to us.

"Keep calm, everyone." Krum walked back over to his schoolmates as we settled down. However, the chattering didn't stop. People started accusing either Harry or Cedric of cursing Krum. Mostly Harry. Annoyed, I looked down.

Then, something strange happened. An incredibly strong chill ran down my spine. Dread came over me like a dark blanket. I rubbed my arms, trying to shake it off.

"Lacey?" I turned to Neville. "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just...I have a bad feeling." He looked like he wanted to reassure me, but shared my concerns. About ten more minutes went by, and the feeling didn't leave. If anything, it got stronger.

All of a sudden, there was a quick flash of light. Harry and a limp-looking Cedric landed on the grass. Harry was grasping the Triwizard Cup.

The arena erupted in screams of victory as the band started playing again. I cheered and started jumping up and down. People started climbing into the arena to congratulate Harry. I went to join them, but I heard a feminine scream. It was Fleur.

She was staring at Cedric and Harry. I followed her gaze and saw that Harry was on top of Cedric's form, and that he was sobbing. Instantly, my heart started pounding when I realized what had happened.

_Oh, my God. He's dead._

Dumbledore had gone over to Harry, along with the Minister and a few others.

"For God's sake, Dumbledore, what's happened?" Fudge asked. Harry looked up at Dumbledore, his face wet with tears and sweat.

"**He's back! He's back! **_**Voldemort's back!**_"

Time stopped.

"Cedric, he asked me to bring his body back. _I couldn't leave him!_ **Not there!**"

It felt like my blood was crystallizing in my veins. _No...It's not true...he...he __**can't **__be..._

"Let me through. _Let me through!_" Mr. Diggory pushed his way through the crowd and ran at where his son's body was laying. "Let me through. _**That's my son!**_" My heart ached for the poor man as he knelt down and threw himself over Cedric's corpse. "That's my boy! **My **_**boy!**_"

He started sobbing as Moody bent down and pulled Harry up. He started leading Harry out of the arena, muttering to him. I looked back at Mr. Diggory, who was crying and moaning uncontrollably. The shock, the hurt, and the heartbreak caused the tears in my eyes to start falling.

**0oooooooooooooooooo0**

_**Here's a fact about the author ~ I saw Goblet of Fire when it first came out, but I hadn't read the book. I didn't know who the heck Cedric Diggory was, but when he died, I still cried like a little girl. That's how freaking sad it was.**_

_**R&R, you know the drill. I love you all! =D**_


	11. Sharing Pain

_**Yup, it's official. I'm on a writing binge tonight =)**_

_**Okay, everyone. This is the final chapter to this story. I certainly hope you enjoy it.**_

**_Coming soon – _Of Discovery and Secrets**

_**I can't wait to start writing this next story! A TON is going to happen for Lacey. For a brief preview summary, see my profile. **_

_**Alrighty, then! Now that my dramatic monologue is done, enjoy the last chapter.**_

**TheBlessedChildSuki- Wow, 2 reviews in one day! You're so awesome! =D**

**0oooooooooooooooooooo0**

After a while, everyone had gone to bed. Harry wasn't back yet, but I assumed he was talking to Dumbledore. I sat on the couch, pouring the final drop of the sleeping potion into my water. I was just about to take the first sip when I heard the portrait door swing open. Dumbledore quickly ran in, followed by Harry and Professor McGonagall.

"Lacey, don't drink that!" Dumbledore said. I froze. He strode over to me and snatched the cup away. He also picked up the empty vial. "Did Moody give this to you?" I nodded.

"Y-Yes, he said it would help me with my nightmares." He looked very serious. "Why?" McGonagall hesitantly spoke.

"Miss Ravensdale, we've just discovered that the man who has stood in for Alastor Moody since the beginning of the year is **not** Alastor Moody." I blinked.

"What? You mean he's an imposter?" She nodded. I looked back at Dumbledore, my heart starting to pound. "Professor, is it poison?"

"No, Miss Ravensdale."

"What is it? He said it was called Tonic of Tire." He shook his head.

"It's not." He turned to me and held out the vial. "This is a very dark potion that is often confused with Tonic of Tire. What it does is prevent the drinker's nightmares each night he or she drinks it. However, once it runs out, the drinker's nightmares will return immediately and literally attack them in their sleep." My breath caught in my throat.

"Attack?"

"I'm afraid so. Their strength depends on how long the dreams were held off for. How long have you been drinking this?" I thought back.

"Several months." McGonagall looked at me with intense pity. So did Dumbledore. He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Miss Ravensdale, the terror will only last for one night. All you can do is get it done with." I felt dreadful, but I nodded. Dumbledore stepped back. I looked at Harry.

"Thanks, Harry. You saved me from another night's worth of dreams." He nodded.

"It's alright. I'm sorry, Lacey."

I went upstairs and hesitantly got into bed. _Get it done with, get it done with, get it done with._ I held Belle next to me with shaking hands as I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to come...

_**"**_**Crucio!**_**" **_

_**Arabella's screams rang through the room, mixing with the laughs of the Death Eaters. I sobbed as I helplessly yanked on the wooden bars surrounding me. Then, several of the figures walked in and started kicking her without mercy...**_

_** "No! Stop!" **_I barely noticed Hermione, Parvati, and a few other girls standing around me, trying to wake me, trying to stop my cries of anguish and rescue me from the torture of my dreams.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

There wasn't any laughter the next day. No celebrations were held for Harry's victory. He didn't want any, so it was just as well.

In the afternoon, all of the students and staff, Hogwarts or visiting, were gathered in the Great Hall for a memorial service.

Dumbledore sat in his chair, looking tired and strained.

"Today, we acknowledge a really terrible loss." He slowly rose. "Cedric Diggory was, as you all know, exceptionally hard-working, infinitely fair-minded, and, most importantly, a fierce, _fierce_ friend." He stopped walking and gazed out at us. "Now, I think, therefore, you have the right to know _exactly_ how he died." He went to the podium.

"You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort!" There were a few shudders and gasps, but they subsided quickly. "The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But to not do so, I think, would be an insult to his memory. Now, the pain we wall feel at this dreadful loss reminds me – reminds **us** – that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one." I looked at the headmaster with admiration.

"In the light of recent events, the bonds of friendship we've made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain. You remember that, and we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true, right to the very end." I looked down at my hands. _God bless and keep you, Cedric. I didn't really know you that well, but...But I __**promise **__you, your death will __**not**__ be for nothing._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

On our final night at Hogwarts that year, the feast was fairly cheerful. People were talking to their newfound friends, telling then how much they'd miss them. However, I didn't feel cheerful in the least bit. After all, what was there to be cheerful about?

My thoughts roamed towards "Moody," or should I say Barty Crouch Junior. Harry had told me that he was a devoted servant of Voldemort who was imprisoned in Azkaban before escaping and posing as Moody. He was the one who put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire, and he killed his own father. And apparently, him giving me that horrible potion was an attack upon me, as well. But I was glad that what he said about Arabella wasn't true. It just didn't sound like her. She was smart; she wouldn't stay to fight like a foolish want-to-be hero.

Then, I thought of Cedric, and his murderer...A part of me wanted to believe that Harry was lying, but I didn't. I couldn't. Besides, I knew it was true. He would never lie about that, not after what happened to his parents.

My blood started to heat up, and I suddenly felt tears in my eyes. I couldn't stand the fact that a perfect young man with a bright future had just died, and that the slaughterer of my sister (and so many others) was free again.

After a few minutes, I couldn't take it anymore. I got up from the table and left the Great Hall. As I walked to the common room, I felt as if I would burst.

The room was empty, which made me happy. I didn't want anyone to see me like that. I slowly walked over to the fireplace, which was burning brightly. I seemed to see the face of Arabella, of her agonized face as she writhed on the ground, desperate for the pain to stop...

The tears started falling as I leaned against the mantle. Small sobs escaped me as I tried to control my breathing. _Oh, God...Arabella, I'm sorry..._

Then, I felt a gentle hand grasp my arm and slowly turn me around. Even before I saw the person's face, I knew who it was. Neville immediately leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He rubbed my back softly as I wrapped my arms around his waist and cried into his chest. I could feel the pain within him, and it mixed with mine as we stood there.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once I got off the train, I hugged Neville goodbye. My parents were there waiting, and I ran at their outstretched arms.

"Oh, Lacey. My precious girl." Mum embraced me as Dad led us to the car. We drove away into a summer of conflict and pain.

**0oooooooooooooooo0**

_**Well, there you have it. I hope you liked the ending, and I'll see you soon!**_


End file.
